Engine race at startup

[Monty^]

1. My LS-8 engine races at high RPM for a few seconds at startup, then abruptly drops to idle.

2. The starter crank takes about 2 seconds to start the engine. Not the typical 200mS start time of an old small block Chevy.

Are both these conditions considered normal?

[351CJ]

Monty- Both conditions are pretty normal. Blame it on the new "Low Emissions Vehicle" specs. that the LS meets. Is far as I know the high engine rev. is to both warm the catalytic converter faster and allow the engine to run leaner when it first fires up. I read somewhere that older non low emissions vehicles emmit more hydrocarbons in the first 30 seconds of idle after a cold start than they do in the next 100 miles of driving. Low emmissions cars are supposed to greatly reduce these cold start emmissions. I think the long crank is a byproduct of the leaner fuel mixture on a cold start.